Pioneers of Photography : an Album of Pictures and Words
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LIBRARY nPRIN COUNTY FREE 31111001716081 nuiNEERSoF PHOTOGRAPHY J An Album of Pictures and Words Written and Compiled by AARON SCHARF A SUPERBLY ILLUSTRATED, lively, inti- mate history of one of the great aesthetic adventures of the modern world—the making of the first photographs. Here are the fascinating early experi- ments with processing, the first primi- tive attempts at colour photography, the ingenious equipment invented for spe- cial effects—and here are the prints that resulted, now precious beyond measure. First-hand accounts by the pioneer photographers vividly recall the pursuit of a historic event, a spectacular land- scape, a fleeting facial expression. There are chapters on the work of the inventors— Niepce, Fox Talbot, Da- guerre, and Bayard—and on the profes- sionals, like Nadar, who photographed everything from the Paris sewers (by electric light) to Sarah Bernhardt. Boume made a record of the landscape of India and the Himalayas that was, and perhaps still is, unequalled. The beginnings of documentary photography—John Thom- son's London types for instance, and the very undocumentary work of Julia Mar- garet Cameron—showed two paths photography could follow. Yet another, the development of photography as an analytic technique, can be seen in the work of Marey and Muybridge. The de- velopment of colour photography brings the text to a close, and a selected bibliog- raphy rounds out the volume. Aaron Scharf, well known for his ear- lier books, Creative Photography and Art and Photography, was an adviser to the British Broadcasting Corporation on the programmes out of which this book grew. 180 illustrations, including 10 ' 'es in full colour Pioneers of nhotopraphv 770.0 SCHAR^^^-.^ .. liTPAL LIBRARY I DATE DUE PIONEERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY PIONEERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AN ALBUM OF PICTURES AND WORDS WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY AARON SCHARF HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC., PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK >?*^ By arrangement with the British Broadcasting Corporation PREVIOUS PAGE Herman Krone: self portrait with his photographic equipment RIGHT Samuel A. Cooley. his assistants and photographic waggons Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Scharf, Aaron, 1922- Pioneers of photography. Bibliography: p. I. Photography—History. 2. Photographers. I. British Broadcasting Corporation. il. Title. TR15.S34 770'.9'034 75-42216 ISBN 0-8109-0408-X '' . <.'*^ Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 75-42216 Copyright © 1975 The British Broadcasting Corporation. Incorporated, New York Published in 1976 by Harry N. Abrams, '>''^l*i All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers Printed and bound in Japan CONTENTS Foreword 7 Introducrion 9 I The Pencil of Nature 13 2 The Mirror with a Memory 33 Sun 3 Pictures 53 4 Famous Men and Fair Women 71 5 Travelling Man 87 6 When I was a Photographer 103 7 The Indelible Record 119 8 Animal Locomotion 139 9 Camera Work 157 10 Colour Notes 173 i^ List of Illustrations 186 Bibhography 189 FOREWORD these for the of a practicable natural-colour process. But even in As I began working on the background research one cannot escape the enthusiasm of television programmes 'Pioneers of Photography' it be- sections of the book, people whose words give a feeling came obvious to me - no specialist in the subject - that those extraordinar)' immediacy to everything they describe. It was not always easy for the general reader to find some of these writers are often trying to prove some- of the key documents and first-hand statements by the Ofcourse, or to an audience and, as with photographers themselves. There exists, tor instance, a thing either to themselves kind, their personahties and circum- recent facsimile publication of Henrj' Fox Talbot's book. any evidence of this have to be borne in mind. When Nicephore The Pencil ofNature, yet copies are difficult to track down stances to Claude in 1816 to say that he had suc- for those who are not specialists. I hope, therefore, that Niepce wrote negative images on paper, I personally by supplying a small number of carefully chosen docu- ceeded in getting evidence he sent widi the letter has ments, both images and texts, culled from the first hun- beheve him. But the Like Thomas Wedgwood before him, he dred years of the experience of photography, this album not survived. able to fix an image permanently and no reply will answer a real need. was not yet Claude's has been traced which would tell us of the The more I assembled together, the more fascinated I of fij-st negatives by the time they reached became - not only by the statements themselves but also condition ofthese Nadar was writing his memoirs long after the by the personalities involved: Nicephore Niepce com- Paris. and it must be remembered that he, municating the lucid and detailed accounts of his experi- events he described Margaret Cameron, couldn't resist a good stor)' ments to his brother Claude; the first reports in English like Julia Nevertheless, that docs magazines of Daguerre's discovery and the responses of and was a little hazy about datc-s. vividness of both their narratives. Talbot and others to them; Mrs Talbot complaining to not detract from the intercstmg material has come from her mother-in-law of Henry being discouraged; the Some of the most I could easily spend a lifetime fol- impulsiveness ofJulia Margaret Cameron who couldn't chance meetings, and the clues that I've been given by many kind resist rushing into her family at dinner and ruining the lowing up people. But there is a limit to what orJy one tablecloths with chemicals. Nadar had no end of trouble and helpful researcher can achieve on photographing the Paris sewers by artificial light - the producer and one hard-worked time costs money and we steam from bath water created a fog. And Samuel Bourne, a scries with a modest budget; to produce. So here, with an introduc- in a glacial pass in the Himalayas, complained that no one have programmes guidelines from Aaron Schart, the photographers who had not actually experienced it could realise the tion and must play their own agony of pouring photographic chemicals with chapped can speak for themselves. But readers as of quarry, and follow up for hands. part, use this book a kind anything they fmd intriguing. The later chapters (as also the programmes) deal not themselves item, part ot which is re- so much with individuals as they do with the larger con- Perhaps the most fascinating time, is tlie small red morocco siderations of new developments in photography: the produced here for the first photography of movement by Muybridge and Marey; album of calotypes by Dr John Adamson and his brother sent to Fox Talbot with a letter on the magazine. Camera Work, the 'art' print, the arrival Robert, whicii they ! 8 PIONEERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY 9 November 1843 to show the kind ot work they had w-hen I began to write my scripts. Untbrtunately she been doing with his process in St Andrews, Fife. This was hasn't survived to see this book, but she and the rest of six montlis before Robert opened his studio in Edinburgh Bourne's family have teen able to give valuable informa- and started his partnership with D. O. Hill. In the front tion. of the album, carefully cut into an oval vignette, is the Despite this strange compression of time, many of our Adamsons' portrait Sir of David Brewster, the optical inquiries have ended in a blank ; papers have been lost and scientist who was the link between Talbot and the Scot- negatives junked as being of no further interest. Luckily tish calotypists. He had certainly known of Talbot's there is now a growing aw areness that photographs (ire photogenic drawings as early as 1836, two-and-a-half important, often as important as written documents in years before the announcement by Daguerre which the history of any country. As a television producer who prompted Talbot finally to publish his own process. has worked mainly in the fields of art and history, I What is more, in 1836 Brewster and Talbot were already should like to encourage anyone with photographs which considering 'taking a picture' of such an imposing build- they think are of biographical, historic, or even of local ing as Warwick Castle. I am grateful to Harold White importance, to show them to a librarian or museum cura- w'ho first drew my attention to the little album, and who tor and allow them to be copied for reference, before they generously gave me an intensive briefing on Fox Talbot's sell or give away the originals. But please don't send them w'ork. Further readings ot some of the microfilms of the to me Lacock Abbey papers have filled the gaps. The great- great-grandchildren ot Fox Talbot, Janet and Anthony The series of programmes on which this book is based Burnett Brown, have kindly given us pernussion to would never have materialised without the help and quote from the correspondence and to reproduce the kindness of many people who have contributed so much album; (they were also very kind hosts to the film unit at interest and information to the project. I would like to Lacock Abbey). acknowledge here the debt I owe to Aaron Scharf for Other new material which came to light includes the compiling and writing this book and advising on the daguerreotype of Dorothy Draper by Dr John Draper series; to Brian Coe, Curator ot the Kodak Museum; to which has recently been donated by his family to the the staff of the Science Museum, and in particular Dr Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and which D.